In computer systems, bus attached devices such as tapes, disk drives and other input/output devices including hosts typically require identification numbers to be identified for receiving communications.
These identification numbers may be predetermined by the use of jumper wires on each device that a user manipulates. However, the process of manipulating these jumper wires may be time consuming and error prone, particularly if the device is located within the cabinet of a computer. Other techniques include using unique identification numbers that are hard-wired into each device such as in U.S. Pat. No. 5,038,320. However, such unique identification numbers must be long due to the large number of possible devices available for buses. As a result, communications may be slowed by including such a long identification number in each communications package across a bus.